Essay name: Hastalaksanadipika a critical edition and study
Author:
E. K. Sudha
Affiliation: Government Sanskrit College (Tripunithura) / Department of Sanskrit
This is an English study on the Hastalaksanadipika—a manual depicting the Mudras (gestures) of the Kerala theatre. It is a very popular text supposedly dating to the 10th century A.D. This study also touches the subject of Krsnanattam, Kathakali and Kutiyattam—some of India's oldest theatrical traditions in Kerala.
Chapter 2 - Bharata’s Dramaturgy
38 (of 56)
External source: Shodhganga (Repository of Indian theses)
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the stage()) is also a theatrical convention. Now the criteria employed by Bharata in making the distinction between the two styles of dramatic presentation, and then applying the same criteria to the four types of abhinaya could be inquired. Bharata is quite explicit in stating that any stage behaviour or any aspect of theatrical procedure that conforms to the norms of worldly conduct (Lōkasvabhāva) must be regarded as realistic practice. The criterion here is mimetic fidelity or fidelity to common human experience. Any departure from this norm would become acceptable purely in terms of the laws of the theatre and the illusory world it creates. Anything that follows its natural form is called realistic while any deviation from it will be stylistic. Judged by this criterion, the basic theatrical situation, namely, that of presenting a human situation in terms of the objects, expression and concomitant feelings (falfa), in other words, the whole initiative reproduction (which is called a drama), is gudied by Lōkadharmi. There is nothing conventional or artificial about this basic illusion of reality, unless the theatre itself, as an institution, were to be regarded as a convention, in which case all art and literature too could be viewed as a convention. However, in terms of Bharata's doctrine, the stage situation per se is not to be considered as a case of Natyadharmi, because, Lōkadharmi itelf is the instrument of the primary illusion of the theatre. 19. स्वभाव� लोकधर्मी तु विभावो नाट्यमेव हि [svabhāvo lokadharmī tu vibhāvo nāṭyameva hi ] NS XXVI 127 70
